When connecting to the Internet through a network communication system such as an Internet service provider (ISP) or other service provider, subscriber-specific credentials are typically assigned to each subscriber so that the subscriber is required to authenticate devices operating on the network. Service providers may include digital subscriber line (DSL) and cable services, for example. Equipment located at the premises of the subscriber, commonly referred to as customer-premises equipment (CPE), authenticates with the ISP network before being able to access the Internet.
The CPE is typically a modem on the premises of the subscriber that communicates with devices and systems operated by the service provider. In some cases, the credentials at a CPE may change so that the CPE no longer authenticates properly with the service provider network. This prevents the subscriber from being able to access the Internet because the CPE credentials do not match the credentials stored by the service provider for the subscriber. The service provider network may require the CPE credentials to be corrected before allowing the CPE to access the Internet.